


Dirty Work

by AwayLaughing



Series: All The Days That Have Passed [12]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Chores, House Cleaning, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-11
Updated: 2014-07-11
Packaged: 2018-02-08 08:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1934466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwayLaughing/pseuds/AwayLaughing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“We don't even have that many clothes,” Neji said, “so how is this pile so large?”</i>
</p><p> </p><p>  <i>“Because it's pretty much everything we own."</i></p><p> </p><p>Neji does laundry, and doesn't enjoy it. Neither does Shikamaru, but shared suffering is good for a partnership.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dirty Work

**Author's Note:**

> Challenge from [here](awayandlaughing.tumblr.com/post/68217772129/30-day-otp-challenge-for-the-fluff-impaired)
> 
> Day 12 - Chores

When the war ended, people had been left floundering. Kumo had been destroyed, Konoha was packed to bursting with refugees and the shinobi themselves had been left dealing with a dearth in stability, their leadership gone or fractured. As such, Neji had fallen into the habit of sticking to his war time uniform for work, partially because he'd ended up stationed in the refugee camps, and it took up less room, partly because it comforted those he worked with and around to see a uniform. Once that had calmed down, he'd just never shifted back to his Hyūga clothing.

 

He was beginning to regret that, however, given Shikamaru also wore the standard outfit. They'd been back and forth for the last two months – never home for more than a day at time. It meant things piled up and disappeared – there was no food to be had and their laundry. Well.

 

Neji tugged a shirt out of the pile, frowning at the tear in it. He was fairly certain it must have been Shikamaru's, he didn't recall ever being attacked without his flakjacket. Or his armour, depending. Throwing it to the side along with the other shirts, pants and various other cloth items that needed mending he sighed. The wardrobe was almost empty – some off duty clothing and a few formal outfits were left.

 

Neji was not happy.

 

He scowled at the mound of muddied, bloodied, ash-laden clothing. Being a shinobi was dirty work, morally and literally. He was so absorbed with trying to sort the clothing, or at least get the pile to a size that would fit in the laundry machine, he barely took notice Shikamaru was hovering in the door way.

 

“We don't even have that many clothes,” Neji said, “so how is this pile so large?”

 

“Because it's pretty much everything we own,” Shikamaru said, and Neji looked up, offering only the briefest open acknowledgement to his lover's existence. “What's with the two piles?”

 

“Well I was trying to sort our clothing, but it mostly became two piles for what needed to just be cleaned, and what also needed to be mended.”

 

Shikamaru nodded, heading over to the mending pile to poke around. “I can fix these,” he said after a moment, and Neji nodded.

 

“I was going to start once these were in the wash,” he said, “I'm just trying to find some way to get this pile a more reasonable size.”

 

“Separate the pants and tops? Group underwear with the former,” Shikamaru said, piling the garments that needed mending into a basket. “I'll be out on the porch with these, once you're done.”

 

“Many hands make light work,” Neji said, aware he sounded about as enthusiastic as Tsunade-sama over paperwork. Shikamaru nodded, and disappeared out of the bedroom. With a sigh, Neji pulled another basket to him and threw the first shirt in.

 

* * *

 

 

Neji clipped the last clothespin, thankful to be done his least favourite part of laundry. Handling wet clothing did not appeal to him in the slightest. Idly pushing his bangs behind his ear he turned, somewhat surprised to see Shikamaru throw the last pair of pants into the mending basket.

 

“Finished?” he asked, noting that the shirt he'd been working on was also in the basket.

 

“Mhm,” Shikamaru said, standing with a stretch. “Mom was always a real stickler about being able to mend anything that ripped. Troublesome woman used to make me go over all the ripped clothing from breeding season with her – started when I was seven.”

 

“So hard done by, my poor Nara,” Neji said, picking up the basket. “Serves you well, apparently.”

 

“Sadly, yeah,” Shikamaru eyed him, “where'd you learn.”

 

Neji smirked, “Gai-sensei insisted, actually. He even found D-ranks related to mending for us, since none of us were any good with a needle, save Lee.”

 

“See, somehow Lee sewing doesn't surprise me,” Shikamaru said. “We should go get groceries while we're waiting for the next load to get clean.” Neji nodded, heart not at all in it. “And we've still got to do the bedding...good thing we don't have tatami because they would need airing...” he trailed off.

 

“How many days off do you have?” Neji asked. Shikamaru scowled.

 

“Today. I'm home the next three weeks but it's so I can go over the clan budget, go to all the head meetings,” he looked rather glum. “You?”

 

“Well, I'm in the village for the next month,” he said, “ANBU recruitment is up.”

 

Shikamaru blinked once, as if he'd completely forgotten about the bi-annual recruitment drive. “Right,” he said, “so...we might maybe see each other around.”

 

“Once in a blue moon,” Neji agreed, “now – do we need eggs?”

**Author's Note:**

> Late - but only because I got stuck on this one. The next few are written!


End file.
